Ilorin South: S’Court dismisses Kwara speaker’s application

By Mumini Abdulkareem
The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Monday dismissed the application filed by the Speaker of the Kwara House of Assembly, Engr Danladi Yakubu-Salihu and Clerk, Hajia Halima Kperogi over the judgment of the Appeal Court.
The appeal court had sacked the lawmaker representing Ilorin South constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon Hassan Elewu Oluwanilo and awarded cost against him, the speaker and the clerk over refusal to obey its decision.
It subsequently directed the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Jimoh Raheem Agboola to be sworn-in.
The case, it was gathered, was struck out for lack of jurisdiction as the apex court judges maintained that the issue was State House of Assembly election matter whose litigation ends at the Appeal Court.
The suit was dismissed for lack of merit after the counsel to the claimant; Barrister Oba Magaji begged the court to withdraw the two applications filed on the matter.
Five justices of the Supreme Court led by Justice Mary Odili heard the case which lasted for about 30 minutes.
Following the development, the Speaker who spoke through his media aide, Sheriff Ibrahim said his principal will do the needful in a telephone chat with National Pilot.
The House did not swear-in Agboola or discuss the issue during its last plenary on Wednesday before it adjourned for recess.
Reacting to the issue, the immediate past speaker of the 8th Kwara legislative assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad called on the lawmakers to close what he described as “chapter of lawlessness”, adding that “Future generations of Kwarans will never treat this incident as a precedent, and it should never happen again”.
He called on the assembly to “see the legislature as a House of all Kwarans adding that “our democracy is too advanced to accommodate” such actions.
“Like any Assembly, KWHA will continue to be populated and administered by a medley of members belonging to different political parties as it has been over the years, but never has it descended into this level of impunity and legislative lawlessness”, he added.
Also, the opposition PDP, in a statement signed by its chairman, Engr Kola Shittu welcomed the ruling and hailed the judiciary for the courage to do what is right adding that it “serves as a huge lesson to politicians, political parties and government’s agencies to eschew impunity and always conduct themselves in a manner that is in tandem with the provision of the law.
“I also want to congratulate Hon Jimoh Raheem Agboola, the Leader of the Party and Former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki and all members of our great party, particularly the people of Ilorin South constituency for this remarkable victory”, he added.